Gridiron Roundup: Local squads go 8-3 in opening weekend

MOSES LAKE — Football season officially kicked off across the state last week, with nine of the Columbia Basin’s 11 teams opening the season on the road Friday night.  

Read along for scores from each game, as well as statistics and highlights. 

Almira/Coulee-Hartline 

60-8 win at Cusick 

Friday’s season-opener saw the Warriors rack up more than 450 yards of total offense in a 60-8 win over Cusick on the road, improving ACH to 1-0 in both overall and league standings.  

Three Warriors ran for more than 50 yards in the win; junior Caden Correia — who completed five-of-five passes for 156 yards and a touchdown — led the team with 90 rushing yards and a score on six carries, senior Carter Pitts carried the ball six times for 79 yards and two touchdowns and sophomore Porter Wood had eight carries for 64 yards and a touchdown. Sophomore Brody Pitts (twice) and junior Harvest Parrish also reached the end zone in the win. 

ACH hosts Garfield-Palouse on Saturday. Kickoff is at 5 p.m. 

Ephrata 

15-14 win over Prosser 

Opening the season with a conference opponent at home, the Tigers mounted a fourth-quarter comeback to begin the 2024 season with a win. Prosser led the Tigers 14-0 midway through the fourth, but two Ephrata touchdowns over the final five minutes of the game allowed the Tigers to pull off a comeback. 

Junior Brady Hendrick scored Ephrata’s first touchdown of the game with a one-yard rush on fourth down, and following an onside kick that fell in favor of the Tigers, senior Llandon Ahmann caught a 4-yard touchdown pass to bring the score within one. Ephrata elected to go for two, converting on another run by Hendrick. Ephrata stopped Prosser on fourth down on its ensuing possession to seal the win. 

Ephrata hosts Quincy on Friday in the Battle of the Basin. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. 

Lind-Ritzville/Sprague 

28-22 win at Liberty (Spangle) 

Senior running back Brody Boness paced the Bronco offense in Friday’s road win over Liberty (Spangle), carrying the ball 27 times for 289 yards and two touchdowns, adding another 51 yards and a score on two receptions. Senior Carson Kubik rounded out scoring in Friday’s season-opener with a seven-yard reception to the end zone. 

LRS travels to Manson in a non-league game Friday. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. 

Moses Lake 

47-12 loss to Rigby (Idaho) — statistics not available 

The Mavericks traveled across state lines for its season-opening matchup against Rigby (Idaho) — winners of two of the previous three 5A Idaho High School Activities Association titles — and playing in the Northwest Showdown showcase at Rocky Mountain High School in Boise, Idaho. 

While Moses Lake answered an early score by the Trojans, Rigby took a 34-6 lead into halftime before holding on for its eventual 47-12 win. 

Moses Lake has its home opener Friday against North Creek at 7 p.m. 

MLCA/CCS 

50-44 loss at Sunnyside Christian 

The Lions hit the road to play Sunnyside Christian in Friday’s season opener, suffering a 50-44 loss to the Knights in a closely contested game. 

Junior James Robertson completed 10-of-14 passes for 98 yards and three touchdowns in the loss with all three touchdown passes going to junior Johnny Ferguson, who caught four passes for 78 yards in addition to the trio of scores. In the run game, senior Levi North rushed 13 times for 140 yards Friday night, adding a touchdown on an 80-yard kickoff return to the house. 

On the defensive side of the ball, MLCA/CCS added an additional two touchdowns; Robertson returned a fumble 93 yards for a score and senior Brandon Swinger intercepted a pass taking it 20 yards for another Lion touchdown. 

MLCA/CCS hosts DeSales on Saturday at 6 p.m. at Lions Field. 

Othello 

28-9 win at Ellensburg — statistics not available 

Othello traveled to Ellensburg on Friday for the first game of the year, besting the Bulldogs 28-9 to begin the season with 1-0 marks in both overall and CWAC standings.  

The Huskies host Connell on Thursday at 8 p.m. 

Quincy 

59-0 loss to Selah — statistics not available 

Quincy’s return to the CWAC got off to a rocky start with a 59-0 loss to the Selah Vikings at home Friday night. 

First-game jitters seemed to get to the Jacks, who suffered penalties and a couple of fumbles that ended scoring chances.  

“We couldn’t put together any stops, and we couldn’t move the ball on offense, so it was just a long night,” said Quincy Coach Russ Eliott after the game. “We’ve just got to go back and figure some things out.”  

Quincy travels to Ephrata on Friday at 7 p.m. 

Royal 

65-0 win at Kiona-Benton 

The Knights picked up right where they left off in 2023, going on the road and picking up a 65-0 conference win over Kiona-Benton on Friday night.  

Of the 413 yards of total offense Friday, 275 came on the ground; senior Kevin Gutierrez’s 92 yards were a team-high, scoring a touchdown on a 65-yard run in the second quarter; junior Brody Bishop ran for 70 yards and two scores on seven carries and senior Santana Luna rushed five times for 58 yards and three touchdowns. 

Quarterback Lance Allred completed four-of-seven passes for 121 yards and three touchdowns; touchdown receptions came from seniors Jackson Larsen, Caden Fitzhugh and Nathan Niebla. 

Royal held the Bears to 99 yards of total offense. The Knights host College Place on Friday at 7 p.m. 

Soap Lake 

60-18 win at St. John Endicott-LaCrosse 

The Eagles began the 2024 season with a trip to Southeastern Washington, taking home a 60-18 win over St. John Endicott-LaCrosse on Friday night.  

Terrance Panduro led the Eagles in rushing with 171 yards and four touchdowns on 29 carries, converting five two-point conversions for Soap Lake in the win. Senior Jairo Lopez completed eight-of-11 passes for 168 yards and three touchdowns, adding an additional 81 yards and a touchdown on eight carries of his own. Pacing Soap Lake in receiving was Logan Northup, who caught four passes for 108 yards and a touchdown. Kyle Ayers caught two passes for 45 yards and two touchdowns in the win. 

Soap Lake hosts Waterville-Mansfield on Friday at 7 p.m. 

Wahluke 

14-13 win at Naches Valley 

A missed extra point was the difference in Friday’s South Central Athletic Conference matchup between Wahluke and Naches Valley, as the Warriors improved to 1-0 with a road win over the Rangers. 

Sophomore Franco Perez carried the ball 25 times for 169 yards and a touchdown, with Wahluke’s other touchdown in the game coming on a 44-yard reception by senior Alexis Zamora in the second quarter. 

The Warriors host Wapato on Thursday at 7 p.m. 

Warden 

7-6 win at Medical Lake — statistics not available. 

Warden began the season with a non-league opponent, facing off against 1A Medical Lake on the road Friday night, bringing home a tightly contested 7-6 win over the Cardinals. 

The Cougars host Mossyrock on Saturday at 1 p.m. 

    Quincy’s Erik Zepeda heads upfield in the Jacks’ 59-0 loss to Selah Friday, Quincy’s first game since the school’s return to the Central Washington Athletic Conference.